The Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 ($149.99 list) is a motherboard intended for use with Intel's second-generation Core (aka "Sandy Bridge") processors using the LGA1155 socket.

It is equipped with the Z68 Express chipset, the most advanced and feature-rich of any in Intel's Sandy Bridge line. Features of Z68 Express include support for Intel's Smart Response Technology (SRT), which allows automatic caching of frequently used data on a solid-state drive (SSD) to improve access times. An mSATA port located on the motherboard lets you add a small SSD to the motherboard to make use of this feature, without requiring you to install a larger one elsewhere in your system.

(Note: The GA-Z68XP-UD3 does not come with an SSD you can use to take advantage of SRT. The Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3-iSSD is an otherwise identical board that also comes with an mSATA SSD loaded with 20GB of SLC flash memory specifically for this purpose.)

Design and FeaturesThough Gigabyte has departed from its traditional blue-and-white color scheme in many of its recent motherboard models, the GA-Z68XP-UD3 uses it. It also conforms to the ATX form factor, and measures 9 by 12 inches (HW). In addition to a 24-pin connection to your power supply, it also requires an eight-pin 12V connection.

Expansion slots on the GA-Z68XP-US3 include one PCI Express (PCIe) x16, one PCIe x18, three PCIe x1, and two PCI. (Unlike some Sandy Bridge motherboards that utilize other Intel chipsets, the GA-Z68XP-UD3 has only a single HDMI output port and no VGA or DVI.) There are four 6Gbps SATA ports and four 3Gbps SATA ports for connecting hard drives or optical drives.

The GA-Z68XP-UD3's rear-panel ports including one legacy PS/2 port (for keyboard and mouse), HDMI, eight USB 2.0, two USB 3.0, one FireWire, one S/PDIF out, and eight-channel analog audio. Additional onboard headers give you the option of connecting as many as two additional USB 3.0 ports, six USB 2.0 ports, and one FireWire port.

About the Author

Matthew Murray got his humble start leading a technology-sensitive life in elementary school, where he struggled to satisfy his ravenous hunger for computers, computer games, and writing book reports in Integer BASIC. He earned his B.A. in Dramatic Writing at Western Washington University, where he also minored in Web design and German. He has been... See Full Bio

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